The Arizona Wildcats will host their second Pac-12 home game of the season Saturday night against Cal, and one particular 2019 commit will keep a close eye on the matchup.
Kwabena Watson committed to the Wildcats in June. He’s from Fresno, California’s Edison High School, making him the only Northern California pledge so far for the 2019 class.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 205-pound edge rusher is a three-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com. He chose the UA over offers from LSU, Mississippi State, Fresno State and Nevada.
The Star talked to Watson this week to discuss why he chose Arizona, his career goals and what UA fans can expect from him when he arrives to Tucson.
Why did you commit to Arizona?
A: “The main reason why I decided to commit to the University of Arizona was because they have a big medical facility and when I grow up, I want to become a surgeon. I want to become a general surgeon.”
Do you have family background in the medical field?
A: “My aunt is a registered nurse and my older cousin is also a registered nurse, but it just intrigued me to do surgery and stuff like that.”
When did you make the decision for your career choice outside of football?
A: “Like the fourth grade. In elementary school that’s when I wanted to do that. When I was younger, I would always read medical books and watch medical shows. … ‘Untold Stories of the ER,’ ‘Trauma,’ ‘Paramedics,’ ‘Mystery Diagnosis,’ stuff like that.”
What intrigued you about the medical field from such an early age?
A: “The big part about it was helping people and doing something that not a lot of people say they do and have been through.”
Did you know about UA’s medical school or did the coaches pitch it to you?
A: “The coaches didn’t know that that’s what I wanted to do as a profession, but once they found out, they told me more about it and it’s just a big facility that you can start undergrad early. And it was just a big part of it.”
You play at Edison, the same school that Robert Golden played at before he went to Arizona. How big of a deal is he at the school?
A: “He’s a big deal. He sometimes sends us stuff and he’s a big supporter of our football program. My freshman year he sent us (gloves and cleats), and I was just ecstatic. He gave back. If I go to the NFL, that’s something that I want to do is give back to the high school.”
Have you ever talked to him?
A: “Oh yeah, we’ve talked a lot. It’s someone to look up to since he’s at the professional level. I look up to him as a role model.”
How is your senior season so far?
A: “It’s going pretty good. I’m getting my tackles and my sacks, but I finally got put back into my right position so now it’s just about getting better and better.”
Where do Arizona coaches want you to play?
A: “They want me playing defensive end, rushing.”
Did you have any NFL players that you looked up growing up?
A: “Not really. I always put the NFL into my shoes. I always thought ‘Well I’m gonna be there so how can I get better than the one that’s my spot?’ So I always put it like ‘I’m coming for my spot.’”
Do you watch the NorCal teams, like Cal and Stanford?
A: “In the beginning, the college teams that I watched growing up were USC and Stanford, and Cal sometimes. I watched Stanford a lot because I liked their program in the beginning and as I grew up and learned more about, I kinda went away.”
What is something not a lot of people know about you?
A: “I play guitar and I wrestle.”
How much does wrestling improve your game at football?
A: “Wrestling has a huge impact on being a football player, because there’s a lot of holding and grabbing. And it helps out tackling. … Two years ago, I went to state and got first place. And then I went to nationals and got sixth in that. For the national tournament, they gave us a trip to Iowa and I wrestled against other states.”
How did you get into wrestling?
A: “My dad wrestled as a kid and throughout high school. He used to show me moves and I was like ‘I want to do this.’ It was the same thing for football.”
Since you play acoustic guitar, what songs can you play?
A: “A song I just learned three weeks ago was ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran. I can also play ‘Tango,’ ‘Ode to Joy’ and ‘La Bamba.’ When I started playing guitar, I saw it as an elective at school so I just said ‘I wanna try that.’ So I started it and then my parents bought me a guitar like two weeks after I started that class and I just connected with it. I like doing it as a hobby.”
What is Arizona getting out of you as a football player?
A: “I’m one of the best rushers off the edge and someone that can attack the quarterback. And I can play tight end on offense.”
